Nigerian bishops hope postponement of elections will help ensure peaceful vote, credible result

February 09, 2015

Nigeria’s presidential election, scheduled for February 14, has been postponed, leaving citizens uncertain, the Fides news service reports.

"Our hope is that this decision was made with good intentions,” said Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of Jos, the president of the Nigerian bishops’ conference, after an independent electoral commission announced the postponement. He acknowledged that some prominent people are unhappy with the postponement.

The election was postponed for several reasons, including security concerns related to the Boko Haram terrorist attacks in the northeast of the country. Church leaders, especially in that region, had expressed concerns about the possibility that the vote would spark violence.

Archbishop Kaigama said that Church leaders are doing their best “to make sure that the election results are credible and accurate, hoping that this will contribute to peace in our country.”

 

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Further information:

• "We hope that the postponement of the election was made with good intentions", said Mgr. Kaigama (Fides)
• Nigeria's Christians fearful of violence as presidential election approaches (CWN, 2/6)